Finders Keepers
by Scriboo
Summary: Harvey had lost something and now Mike found it. Kid Fic, slight AU, slash.


**Chapter I – 'You have found a WHAT?'**

It was Sunday. More so, it was like a perfect Sunday every overworked and exhausted inhabitant of The City dreamed of for the first six days of the week. Bright sun, soft wind and cozy warmness all over were contributing to recharging batteries of those poor souls.

Mike Ross loved Sundays. Especially since he has started working at Person Hardman. It was the day of absolute laziness, rest and chilling out. Well, maybe not exactly, he needed to clean out all the used coffee cups, take-away empty boxes and wash the pile of laundry which piled up in the bathroom, but other than that, it was great. No work, no stress, no jerks around to mess with his head. Usually. He was, of course, on call, as if he was a fucking paramedic or something, and could hypothetically be called by either Harvey or Jessica or Louis and would need to drop everything and get to Pearson Hardman as fast as his bike would take him.

But this was proving to be actually perfect weekend. And he was going to take advantage of it by taking a subway to the Central Park, where he would embark on long, refreshing walk, catching some sun and air.

He threw on his jacket and sneakers and headed down the street and managed even to catch the train at the last second. He enjoyed the ride, giving bright smiles to everyone who would look his way, sharing happiness, because, hell, why not, it was a good day and Mike liked being nice to people and seeing them smile back.

As he finally reached his station, little did he expect that it was the place that would change his life forever. Big, crowded station with people moving all around, some in casual clothes, some in suits, clearly having had a bad luck of being stuck working that day. Mike was not going to dwell on that all that long and headed for the exit, but then... then he heard it. Sobbing.

He turned his head towards the sound, his mind going trough all the instances he heard someone crying and cataloging it as an example of child in distress. His eyes scanned the crowd and there, by the wall, stood a girl. Her shoulders were slumped and shaking, blond hair falling on her face, and face red from crying. People were passing her and not paying her any attention and Mike couldn't take it. He moved through the crowd and got to her, falling on his knee. Her head shot up and he found himself looking straight into pair of huge startled chocolate-colored eyes.

"Hi there, Sunshine," he shot her his best winning smile. "What such a pretty young lady like yourself is doing here all alone?"

He tried keeping his voice light and bright and paid attention to sustaining eye contact. She blushed and her lower lip trembled again. "I'm lost..." Her voice, beautiful and melodic shook a little.

He nodded seriously. "You lost your parents in the crowd?"

She shook her head violently. "Lost my way home."

Mike considered his options. First of all he should probably take her from the station and then find out where she lived so he could get her there.

"Tell you what," he started brightly, "let's go to the Central Park, how would you like that? We will buy some ice cream, and you will tell me where you live so that I can take you home. Sounds good?"

She sent him sharp look, her sobbing stopping slowly.

"Papa says not to go with strangers," she said, her voice cautious.

"Your Papa says wisest things, Sunshine, but I think in this situation we don't really have a choice, you will need to trust me, all right? Come on, my name is Mike."

He stuck out his hand for her to shake and she slowly reached out ant took it. "I'm Lily."

He sent a grin her way. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl, Little Flower."

She smiled softly back, her whole face brightening. "All right then. Ice cream. May I have strawberry flavor?"

"Sure thing, whatever you want."

He stood up and offered her hand and she took it, allowing him to lead her out of the subway and into the streets of New York.

Mike's head was spinning by the time they were sitting on the bench in the Central Park, eating ice cream. The whole way, he kept her mind on little things, like picking up passers by and thinking up stories about them and she would giggle and come up with her own unbelievable ones. She also started wrinkling her nose at their clothes and hairstyles and Mike had to laugh a little at that. He learned also that she was five as of last month, was going to become Broadway star and dreamed of having a kitten named Munkustrap, after character from 'Cats'.

The girl was growing on him, clever and excited and polite, not to mention cute. But he remembered why they were there in the first place. He looked her straight in the eye and started questioning.

"All right, Lily. I must say you are the most charming lady I've ever met and I loved spending time with you today. Now, as a proper gentleman, I should take you home, but I will need your help here, okay?"

She nodded, her eyes wide open and earnest.

"Could you tell me where you live?"

"At Mom's house." Her answer was straightforward and honest and Mike started having a sinking feeling in his stomach.

"Honey, you need to give me something more to work with. Do you know the address?"

She pouted. "Mom's house."

He groaned internally. But then, she continued. "But don't take me there! I don't really wanna live with Mom anymore, I was trying to find Papa's house, but, but..." She almost started sobbing once again before getting a grip on herself. "I got lost."

Perfect, thought Mike. Bloody perfect.

"Right. Look, Lily, I take it you don't really know a street address?"

She shook her head with embarrassment. Mike sighed.

"It's okay. We will go to the Police and they will take you back to your mom, all right?"

She suddenly blanched and shook her head. "On no, I will be in so much trouble! I don't want to go back to her and I can't find Papa and-"

Mike could have banged his head on the nearby tree if he thought it was going to help. How the hell did he do it, always finding himself in that sort of situation.

"Relax Lily, let's try something different. Are you with me?"

She nodded.

"Okay. What is your last name?"

She furrowed her brow.

"Lily?" She asked more than stated.

"That's your first name, yes. But I was thinking about your surname. Like, I'm Mike Ross, and you're Lily...?"

"Lily Caldwell" She said enthusiastically, happy to supply him with information.

Thank God for small victories, thought Mike.

"And your parents? What are their names?

She grinned happily. "That one's easy Mike! Mom and Papa of course!"

"And their grown up names? How does your Mom call your Papa?" He asked, not loosing hope for finding out something more.

Lily scrunched up her nose. "Well, she calls him "That Jerk", but Papa says it's a bad word and I shouldn't use it."

Mike cringed. "And your Papa calls your mom, how?"

"'Your mom' or 'She'" Lily answered confidently.

Mike sighed. "Great. You are doing good job, Lils, Honey." Internally, he was pulling his hair. It was typical. Just like him to go and pick up a lost kid with family issues. Bloody fantastic. But, there was nothing for it. He knew exactly what he should do, and so he did.

He took her to the Police.

Of course, judging by her earlier reaction, it was not the best idea to tell her that before they were already there, so he just suggested taking a walk looking for her Papa's house, and tried to keep her mind on light conversation.

"So you wanna be an actress, huh?" he asked her, taking hold of her hand, mentally checking all the facts about safety around children. "How do you feel about a game?"

Her eyes lit up. "I love games! What kind of game? Do I get the prize?"

He laughed softly. "A little competitor, aren't you? All right then. How about that. I quote a line from Broadway musical at you and you guess which one it is. As for a prize..." Mike reached into his pocket and started ruffling through it, trying to find anything that could pass as a trophy for a five year old. His fingers closed around a soft, warm object and he felt grin tugging on the corners of his lips so strongly that he was afraid he might split his face in half. "How does that work for you?"

It just so happened that the day before Mike visited his Grammy, who had a gift for him. Edith Ross was quiet happy with the facility she was residing in lately. She made a lot of friends and her room was spacious enough that she even managed to display her collection of handmade items she was particularly proud with. And lately, one of her friend's granddaughter saw a little woolen doll and got all excited and begged Grammy to make her one that resembled a princess she was just crazy about. And that's how Edith Ross took up knitting as her old-new hobby as of late. And that's exactly how Mike ended up with woolen doll resembling a red cat in his jacket's pocket on Sunday afternoon.

Lily looked critically at the doll.

"Kitten?" she asked, enthusiasm showing in her voice. "I love cats!"

Mike grinned. "I figured. But it's not just any cat."

Lily shot him a quizzical look. "How so?"

He raised his eyebrows at her. "You mean to tell me you don't recognize him?"

"No?" she half stated half asked timidly.

Mike looked at her incredulously. "You have never seen 'Aristocats'?"

She shook her head mutely, blond hair falling all around her head.

"But that's like one of the best kid movies ever!"

She send him timid look. "I kind of never watched that many movies really. I've only seen the one about toys, Papa took me to cinema once..."

Mike looked at her in indignation and dread. "Oh my God. You have watched 'Toy Story 3' and haven't seen previous parts? And more importantly... How is it possible that you know Broadway classics, but not the movies?"

She dropped her eyes to the sidewalk, looking at her feet. "There weren't any in the entertainment room."

Mike could not wrap his head about this fact. "You mean you weren't allowed to watch family movies?"

Lily shook her head. "Mom says I should be grateful she lets me watch musicals and not to ask for childish things like that," she explained, slight wishfulness in her voice.

Mike gritted his teeth but said nothing. He kind of vowed to himself that if nothing else he would get Lily to watch at least one classic kid movie with him. And with that thought in mind he quizzed her on Broadway musicals, quoting lines at her one after another and got surprised when she recognized almost all of them. Mike caught himself at grinning every time her eyes widened with excitement while pronouncing the title and character loudly and proudly.

But then, Police station came to view and he quickly declared she won the game and handed her a doll, explaining that his name was Thomas O'Malley. "Will you take care of him for me, Lily?"

She looked him straight in the eye, the seriousness etched on her pretty earnest face. "I will, I promise."

He sent her a grin and led her across the street. But then, she noticed the sign and realized where he was taking her.

"Mike!" she protested suddenly.

"I'm sorry Sunshine, but we need to find your parents, right?"

She nodded sullenly and came to the Police station with him.

Inside, before Mike even managed to utter a word, they were ushered into waiting room, along with some very inappropriately dressed woman and a teenager with cuts on his face. Mike spent the next ten minutes trying to keep Lily's disdainful comments on woman's style of clothing quiet enough so that she wouldn't hear them.

Finally they turn came and Mike got to talk to officer why Lily sulked in the chair next to him, determined not to help him betray her, what she accused him of doing just seconds before. Mike eyed the man, stained uniform, balding head, sharp eyes and all.

"Good afternoon officer," started Mike, and was instantly interrupted.

"Get on with it, boy, a lot to do, very little time."

Mike felt irritation swelling inside of him, but he managed to keep his voice even.

"Very well sir. I've found a child in the subway and I suggest you find her parents."

Officer bent over his desk and glanced at Lily sharply. "Is that so?"

She sent him a vehement look.

"It is so," stated Mike forcefully.

Officer sent him a skeptical look. "Well, lucky you then. The only thing I've ever found in my life was a box of cigarettes at the bus stop." After few seconds worth pause, he added, "Her name?"

"She said it's Lily Caldwell."

Officer grunted in response and typed something into computer. After a few minutes of silence on all parts, he looked up, addressing Lily. "When is your birthday?"

"April 25th."

He nodded and started typing again. Few more minutes and he looked at her with his brow furrowed. "Your file doesn't say anything about your father other that information about him is restricted. I don't have access to it."

Lily looked up at him gloomily but then, suddenly, Mike saw light change in her eyes, as she came up with some idea. "He is my Daddy!' Lily pronounced forcefully, pointing at Mike, who in turn got too stunned to utter a single word for few seconds afterwards. Officer managed to use that time to actually believe and process this information.

"So that's how it is. You wanna get rid of a kid and dump her on her mother even though you probably have other custody regulations?"He stated angrily.

Mike shook his head empathetically. "No, no, it's..."

Officer interrupted him. "You'd better get outta hear before I decide to charge you with something. And take good care of your kid, you ain't gonna get second chances with that one!"

And somehow a very stunned Mike found himself on the sidewalk with Lily again.

He automatically took hold of her hand and started leading her down the street, mentally processing everything that happened.

"What the..." He caught himself in time. "What has just happened back there?"

Lily's cheeks reddened a little. "I'm sorry Mike, but he couldn't find information about Papa, so he would send me to Mom again, and I don't wanna go there, like at all..."

Mike shook his head. "You need to get home. We will just go to he next Police station and this time I talk to the officer by myself." His brain was already telling him solutions to the problem, so be barely noticed that Lily stopped and tugged at his hand. He turned to her and met her big, pleading eyes.

"Mike, please..." She asked with tears in her eyes. "Pleas don't leave me at the Police..."

And, well...

Just like that, unable to say no to her when she was like this, Mike caved.

He ran his hand down his face. What the fuck am I getting myself into, he wondered.

"Okay kiddo. Look, I'm getting kind of hungry and I bet you haven't eaten since morning, have you?"

Lily's guilty look told him all he needed to know.

"Right. We are gonna get some burgers then and from there on we will think some game plan, how does that sound?"

She gave him the most dazzling of the smiles. "Sure thing!"

And so Mike took her hand again and headed for the best burger place he knew in the neighborhood, trying to wrap his head around the fact that he somehow managed to get himself a stray kid on this beautiful Sunday day. He was fairly sure that this counted as kidnapping, adding to his growing list of federal offenses. Why, wasn't he the best damn criminal in New York? And yet, seeing her look up at him with trust and affection made him think that, against the odds, everything would work out splendidly in the end.

"Mike?" Lily tugged at his hand, curiosity evident in her voice. "What is a 'burger'?

Or maybe no so splendidly, after all.


End file.
